Fuse



Juy 3l, 1945. H. .JUNGHANS 2,380,764-

` d FUSE Filed April 7, 19421` 2 Sheets- She l dlllll-llllll /m/enfonf July 31, 1945, H; JUNGHANS FUSE Filed April 7, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented July 31, 1945 FUSE Helmut Junghans, Schramberg-sumen, Eckenhof,

Germany; vested in the Alien Property Custoidian Application April 7, 1941,*Seriai No. 387,324

2 Claims.

The invention relates to a time safety device for direct action percussiomprovided with several centrifugal jaws adapted to release themselves one after the other and two of which at least are arranged in a common plane. Each centrifugal jaw is provided with a nose and a recess.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a time safety device for direct action percussion fuses, which is capable of obtaining a longer safety. And which is simple in its construction and easy to manufacture. is obtained according to the present invention by augmenting thenumber of the centrifugal jaws without interfering with the gauge ofthe pro# jectile. v

A further object of the invention is vthe provision of a time safety device adapted to Vbe used for the smallest gauges of projectiles e. g. between 1 and 2 cm.

The several jaws are arranged to move successively, the first jaw moving when it is subjected to a predetermined centrifugal force due to the rotation of the shell. The second jaw to be moved is held against movement by a locking connection between the first and second jaws which connection 'is released on movement of the first jaw, as will be more fully described hereafter. Similarly the'third and fourth jaws are released for movement, only on movement of the preceding Jaw. t

Not only two, but any number of sets may be arranged one above the other. It is understood that all jaws will swing out one after the other.

According to an other feature of the present invention the centrifugal jaws of the time safety device are constructed in such a manner that they receive a lasting or permanent change of l' their form-or shape, if the said jaws clash out-s,

wards so that the centrifugi jaws remain in their release position.

The centrifugal jaws of each set are compre` hended in a. unitary safety-member or safetyelement by a common carrier connecting the roots of the said jaws. In order to provide a time safety device with a predetermined delay-action a suitable number of these unitary safety-members are arranged oneabove the other, the nose of each centrifugal javf'being in engagement with a recess of the followingone and the nose of the rst centrifugal jaw of each set being arranged with respect to the'sequence of swinging move-'- ments of the several centrifugal jaws always on the same side of the said set of jaws. The manu- This result Germany April 29, 1937 Y -rxment of the said safety member.

edected in a simple and convenient manner by a punching or stamping operation, whereat the centrifugal jaws are in their closed position.

To these ends the invention consists of the parts and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described, and more particularly'pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

A constructional form of the invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig..1 is a longitudinal section through a direct -v action percussion fuse according to the present invention in which three centrifugal jaws are adapted to lock the firing pin.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a percussion fuse, in which the centrifugal jaws set vfree theflring pin, and

Figs. 3 and 4 are top plan views of the percussion fuses shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which the fuse cap is removed, Fig. 3 showing the jaw in unmoved or firing pin locking position, and

Fig. 4 showing the jaws in moved or pin releasing position.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through a percussion fuse having two superimposed safety members, in which the fuse cap is removed and in which the centrifugal jaws are in their locking position, and

Fig. 6 is-a plan view thereto.

The direct action percussion fuse according to the present invention comprises as shown in the drawings a fuse body a provided with the priming cap b and a fuse cap c. As a sensitive direct action percussion fuse it contains a plunger or: firing pin d provided with a collar d'. Between the fuse cap c and the fuse body a there is arranged a safety member which may be framed between the said parts. -In the embodiment shown in the drawings additional pins f are provided for preventing a rotation or turning movex According .to the prentrinventniwafety member is 00nstructed in the form of a dislfishaped part hav- \V e ing an annular support e and a series of centrrfk ugal jaws el, e2 and e3, the roots of which are connected to the said annular support e by narrow necks 1'. The material from which the safety member may be made is chosen in such a man- -ner and so treated that at a predetermined rotation of the projectile or shell the centrifugal jaws clash outwardly about their roots and receive thereby a lasting or permanent change of their form or shape so that they remain in their re-Y lease position as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings.

The centrifugal jaws are provided with locking noses g1, g. g3 and recesses hl, h2, h3 respectively. However, the locking nose g1 of the centrifugal ljaw e1 does not enter into the recess h3 of the the nose ga of the centrifugal jaw e2 is in en-v gagement with the recess h1 of the rst centrifugal jaw e1 and the nose ga of the jaw e3 is in engagement with the recess h2 on the centrifugal jaw e''. As soon in the operation as centrifugal force is effective the centrifugal jaw e1 swings out first and releases after that the centrifugal law e2, whereupon the said jaw eI releases the centrifugal jaw e3.

It can be understood from the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings that in a safety device having three centrif' usal jawsl the locking nose g1 of the first centrifugal jaw e1 does not come into action. It

is, however, not suitable to remove or lomit the said locking nose for the reason that the safety member should be used without any variation in all safeguards or safety devices of the type in question. Preferably there is made room for the nose g1 of the centrifugal jaw elrby providing a groove or recess al in the fuse body a as shown in Fig. 1 'of the drawings.

In the modification shown in Figs, 5.and 6 of the drawings two safety members are arranged one above the other and both safety members are completely equal in their construction. As shown in the drawings vthe locking nose` g* of the upper safety member projects downwards into the plane of the lower safety member and enters into the recess ha of the centrifugal jaw e.

The operation of the time safety device comprising two safety members arranged one above the other is as follows:

. First of all the centrifugal jaw e1 of the lower safety disk swings outwardly and releases thereby the centrifugal jaw ea which thereupon releases the centrifugal jaw el. As the said jaw c is in locking engagement with the centrifugal jaw e* swinging outwards first in this plane. theunlocking movement is transferred by means of the said jaw e3 into the next higher plane so that the said centrifugaljaw e*l is/in a-po'sition to swing outwards and thereupon the centrifugal jaws e ande.

one after the other. In any case the safety device according to ,the present invention is useful It is apparent from the above description that .Y

any number of the superimposed safety membersmay be'employed according to the :desired safety time and, of course. according to the ability .of the centrifugal jaws operating with a permanent change of form and releasing themselves as so-calle'd mask-safety and may be used for small calibre shells with percussion type fuses.

The safety members of the time safety device according to the present invention may be made by a pnching or stamping operation. In this operation the experience has proved that it is possible to punch or stamp the centrifugal jaws in their closed position and simultaneously to bend downwards the locking nose of -the first centrifugal jaw and all this in a single working operation.

The uniting or combination of at least two centrifugal jaws to a safety member is the best possible method from the view of manufacturing for the realization of the present invention. It is, however, also possible to manufacture or produce the centrifugal jaws as separate pieces and to insert them into the -fuse without departing from the, scope of the present invention. In this case it may be also possible to arrange Ithe said separate centrifugal jaw in different planes.

I am aware that numerous changes may be made in the construction of my time safety device and that certain features of my device may be applied to different classes of constructions from that herein shown and described. I do not wish, therefore, to be limited to the 'construction herein shown and described. y 'i What I do claim, and d re to secure by Letters Patent of the United S ates, is:

1. In a percussion fuse, a firing lpin and a time safety device comprising ring having a plurality of inwardly extending members formed integrally therewith and in the plane of said ring, and each forming a clamping jaw for engaging said pin and each member joining said ring by a narrow neck deformable under the action of centrifugal force to permit outward movement of said member, each member being formed with a recess at one side and a projection at the other. the projection of one member normally lying in thev recess of the next member to prevent said movement of one of said members until the other has moved, the projection of one of said members being bent out of its corresponding recess and all of said members, except for said bend, being identical.

2. The percussion fuses as set forth in claim 1 wherein an additional ring with inward project-y engaging in a recess in the otherring mem n/f/ 

